There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion at this point of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
